A weird sort of awareness crept over Summer as she lay there floating

A weird sort of awareness crept over Summer as she lay there floating. This awareness was like waking from some long sleep to which you were never prepared. Summer could never describe the feeling to which she now felt, this feeling of purpose, this feeling of sorrow, this feeling of excitement. As Summer pushed these thoughts around in her mind, she realized that they were separate feeling, felt by three different individuals. She felt them, knew them, were them. Blackness encompassed her devouring what she had just felt and the thoughts that she may have gained.

As the three of them moved slowly down the halls of the abandoned and wrecked ship that they now searched, Mal seemed to get more agitated by the second. Mal felt something reach to him as if from out of the blackness someone wanted him to come to them. A sense of unfamiliar resolve entered Mal.

"Mal!"

Mal touched the side of his helmet pushing the button for the com.

"What's the problem? We got company?"

Rivers voice came back as a hushed raspy whisper "Mal. You're not alone."

"What do you mean we're not alone?" Mal asked thoroughly confused.

"Up ahead the fourth door on your right. Someone's in there."

"Who's in there River?"

"Her!" River said I a voice barely above a whisper.

"River. Who is she?"

"MS18-E154"

"What do you suggest we do?"

Mal floated in place waiting for a response from River. None Came.

"River what should we do?"

"Save Her."

Mal couldn't think of who could get River this scared, but he knew one thing, if River was scared then they all had reason too be.

He proceeded down the hall cautiously, trying to be certain there were no dangers. He counted the doors as he went past them. Four… three…two…one… This was the door. He took a deep breath before sliding open the door.

There In the far corner of the room floated a single space suit. The suit was old and very outdated but it seemed to have held up. As the front spun into view Mal was able to get a look at her face. A single strand of jet black hair crossed her face, just above her left eye. Her skin was pale, almost to the point of being white. On the glass could still be seen a fresh mist from a recent breath. As if the suit was just put on and she had taken her first breath. This didn't make Mal feel any more at ease; in fact it made him feel like he was walkin' into some kind of trap.

"Captain." It was Zoe's voice this time "We've recovered the cargo."

"Ok. After you get it out and on the line Jayne come give me a hand."

" Ok cap." Came Jayne's booming response

Mal didn't like this one bit. The girl was obviously using an old alliance suit but what he didn't understand is why the alliance hadn't given her a newer and more reliable suit. Nothing about this seemed right and he didn't like that. River was gunna have a lot of explaining to do.

Summer woke with a start as she now lay tied to a gurney. As she looked around she saw that she was in an infirmary. She struggled with the straps that bound her to the bed. She could feel the straps bite into her arms as she struggled. Everything seemed to spin as she began to feel lightheaded.

"Your not goin' anywhere little one."

Summer leaned foreword to see a large man leaning against the frame of the door. The man's long face and unkempt facial hair told her that he was someone lower on the social scale. The shirt he wore was an earthy brown, and his pants were a very light blue jean material. His boots were those commonly bought for hiking or other heavy use.

"Who are you and why are you holding me like this?" she yelled at him

"Well, that's a very nice way to say thanks or rescuin' your behind."

"What are you talking about? I was on a cruiser en route to Hera."

"Sorry little one but your ship's nothing but a space wreck now."

"You lie! My ship was the finest alliance cruiser to grace the verse!"

"Miss that hunk o' junk we found you in was older then you."

"The Aeronaut is not old or a hunk of junk! It's a top secret prototype!"

"Calm down a sec. I'll be back." the man said as he walked off to the left and up some stairs.

Summer laid back as her annoyance began to blur her thoughts. She was thoroughly incensed with this whole situation and nothing made sense. She couldn't remember what had happened before the black out. The last thing she remembered was…. The pursuit, the alliance cruisers had taken off after her. She then remembered them firing at the ship but not even coming close. She remembered throwing the thrusters into full… Then everything went black.

"Hey there! How you feeling?" said a familiar voice

Summer leaned forward and looked at the doorway to see her commander. Captain Malcolm Reynolds!

"Captain Reynolds!" she said highly excited

"Do I know you?" the captain asked

"Private First Class Summer Bannon reporting for duty sir"

Mal Almost jumped out of his skin. Was it really Summer? How had she survived all this time and still look so young. She had been sent on a mission by high command and had disappeared. Wait, Bannon? She didn't look like Bannon.

"What kind of trick you trying to pull lady?"

"No trick sir. I'm private first class Summer Bannon of the 96th infantry."

" You can't be. Summer Bannon was declared MIA eleven years ago after thorough search of the area where her mission might have taken her."

"That's impossible I was assigned to capture the Aeronaut on August 13th!"

"What year we talking 'bout? The date today is December third, twenty-five eighteen."

"No! That can't be right!" As she yelled the lights flickered as her consciousness flashed outwards then flickered out.